365 ponds, zero chain stores — welcome to Block Island, Rhode Island

It’s only 12 miles offshore

Block Island sits about 12 miles south of Rhode Island in the Atlantic, and you can reach it in under an hour by ferry.

The island runs roughly seven miles long and three miles wide, with about 1,000 people calling it home year-round. In summer, that number swells to around 15,000.

The Nature Conservancy named it one of 12 “Last Great Places” in the Western Hemisphere back in 1991, and more than 43 percent of the land is permanently protected open space.

The best parts take some walking to find.

Glaciers carved this island thousands of years ago

The same retreating glaciers that shaped Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket also built Block Island.

The native Niantic people called it Manisses, meaning “Little God’s Island.” Giovanni da Verrazzano became the first European to record the island in 1524.

The Old Harbor Historic District still holds 42 buildings from that era, and the whole district landed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Climb down 141 steps to the base of Mohegan Bluffs

The clay cliffs along the island’s southern shore rise 150 to 200 feet straight up from the Atlantic.

They stretch for nearly three miles along the coast, and on a clear day, you can see all the way to Montauk at the tip of Long Island, New York.

A staircase of 141 steps takes you down to a rocky beach at the base, where the water crashes against the wall behind you.

The bluffs got their name from a battle in the mid-1500s between the local Manissean people and an invading Mohegan war party.

A 2,000-ton lighthouse that had to be moved

The brick-and-granite Southeast Lighthouse went up in 1874 right on top of Mohegan Bluffs. You can visit the museum and climb the tower in summer.

In 1997, it earned National Historic Landmark status as one of the finest 19th-century lighthouses in the country. But by the early 1990s, erosion had eaten the bluff’s edge to within 55 feet of the building.

So in 1993, after a 10-year campaign and three Acts of Congress, crews moved the entire 2,000-ton structure about 300 feet back from the cliff.

Walk three-quarters of a mile to North Lighthouse

The granite North Lighthouse sits on Sandy Point at the island’s northern tip, and you have to walk about three-quarters of a mile along the beach from the parking area at Settler’s Rock to reach it.

Built in 1867, it is the fourth lighthouse on that spot because storms and shifting sands destroyed the first three. Inside, an interpretive center holds maritime exhibits.

The surrounding dunes belong to the Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, where nesting seabirds and seals share the shoreline.

All 17 miles of beach are free to visit

Crescent Beach runs more than two miles along the east coast, broken into sections called Town Beach, Scotch Beach, and Mansion Beach.

Fred Benson Town Beach is the only one with lifeguards, restrooms, a snack bar, and chair rentals. If you head farther north on Corn Neck Road, Mansion Beach has soft sand, clear water, and fewer people.

The west and south sides of the island bring rockier shores and stronger surf that draw surfers in autumn. Every beach on Block Island is free with free parking.

28 miles of trails inspired by English walking paths

The island has about 28 miles of Greenway trails, all free and open to you. The system was inspired by walking paths in England and grew through decades of conservation work.

Clay Head Trail on the northeast coast follows the bluffs and leads into a web of winding paths locals call “The Maze.”

Rodman’s Hollow is a 230-acre glacial basin in the southwest, where trails wind down to the remote Black Rock Beach. The island also sits along the Atlantic Flyway, so spring and fall migration bring waves of birds overhead.

Hunt for handmade glass orbs on the beach

Every year, glass artist Eben Horton hides more than 550 handmade glass orbs across the island’s beaches and trails.

He started the Glass Float Project in 2011, and it has turned into one of the island’s most loved traditions. Each orb is modeled after Japanese fishing net floats and stamped with the year and a number.

If you find one, keep it, but the rule is one per person per year. Re-hide any extras for the next person. Fans of the hunt call themselves “Orbivores,” and people travel from across the country to search.

Victorian hotels still line the Old Harbor streets

Old Harbor is where the ferries dock and where you find most of the island’s shops and places to eat.

A breakwater built in the 1870s created the harbor, and Victorian-era hotels and buildings from that same decade through the 1890s still stand along the streets.

In the village square, a statue depicts the Biblical story of Rebecca at the Well. The Block Island Historical Society runs a museum in a 1875 building nearby.

Skip the car and rent a bike at the dock

Most visitors catch the ferry from Point Judith, R.I., and the ride takes about 55 minutes. You can also take seasonal ferries from Newport, R.I., and New London, Conn.

Bikes are the most popular way to get around, and rental shops sit right near the ferry dock. Mopeds and taxis work too if you want to skip pedaling.

The island is small enough that most of what you want to see is within biking or walking distance of Old Harbor.

Americas first offshore wind farm spins right here

Five wind turbines stand about 3.8 miles off the island’s southeast coast.

The Block Island Wind Farm started producing power in December 2016 as the first commercial offshore wind farm in the United States.

Those turbines push out 30 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 17,000 homes. Before the project, the island ran on old diesel generators with no connection to the mainland grid.

Now it plugs straight in. You can see the turbines from Mohegan Bluffs and the Southeast Lighthouse grounds.

No chain stores and 365 freshwater ponds

You will not find a single chain store or fast-food restaurant on Block Island. The island holds 365 freshwater ponds that support thousands of migrating bird species every year.

Conservation groups have worked to protect the landscape here since the 1970s, turning the island into a model for coastal preservation along the East Coast.

The pace is slow, the beaches stay uncrowded compared to the rest of the Northeast, and the scenery shifts from open meadows to clay bluffs within a short bike ride.

Catch the ferry to Block Island from Point Judith

You can reach Block Island by ferry from Point Judith in Narragansett, R.I., with traditional service running year-round and the ride taking about 55 minutes.

A high-speed ferry also runs from Point Judith and cuts the trip to around 30 minutes during the warmer months. Seasonal ferries leave from Newport, R.I., and New London, Conn., as well.

The island is part of the town of New Shoreham, R.I. Check the official website for current schedules and fares before you go.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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